TabbedOut Lets You Settle Up Via Your iPhone

Your iPhone can help you find a local restaurant or bar, so why can't it let you pay your tab at the end of the night? Local software firm ATX Innovation proves that it can.

TabbedOut is an iPhone app that ties into an establishment's point-of-sale system and allows you to view your current charges. It securely stores your credit or debit card info, so that when you're ready to leave, you just choose your entry and hit the pay button. There's even a spot for you to enter a tip.

Eleven locations in Austin are using the TabbedOut system, including the Mohawk, East Side Showroom, Jeffrey's, and Cippolina.

Tyler Van Aken, who operates Sixth Street bars Shangri-La and The Liberty, has used the system since September and told the Austin Business Journal it's cut down the time his servers spend processing transactions.

“What TabbedOut essentially does is help with speed,” he said. “In the bar business, that’s extremely important because you could be serving someone else.”

TabbedOut is available for free in the iTunes App Store. ATX Innovation plans to make money by charging a 99-cent convenience fee per transaction to the customer's iTunes account.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jeff Beckham in Other on January 14, 2010 10:35 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Michael

Cool idea. But flawed.

Why the heck would someone pay $0.99 to DO THE WAITERS JOB FOR THEM!?

Establishment should be charged. It is their time that is being saved.

oh steph

@seth - I can't believe you aren't up in arms about the transaction fee! ;-)

I am going to finally use this tonight at Liberty. Can't wait.

Rick

Thanks Austinist for covering our app. Great writeup and we greatly appreciate the local support.

Seth, we couldn't agree more.

For Austinist viewers, I wanted notify you that we have been informed of a couple of issues with the app that we have addressed with our update coming any day now (as soon as Apple approves the update).

Three folks have had an issue where they pay the tab from TabbedOut and the app continues to show a loading image. Please check with your server to ensure the tab was closed but in each case to date, the tab was closed properly and we have addressed this bug.

Also, if the app ever starts "fluttering" please reboot your phone and it should resolve the issue.

We are focused on making the TabbedOut experience as seamless and FAST as possible so please bear with us in this early stage and keep your eye out for updates on iTunes.

Cheers,

Rick Orr - CEO

seth

I love tabbed out. Great locally-produced app to cover on the Austinist!

Off topic a bit, but Tabbed Out is a great example of how technology in our lives is accelerating at a rapid pace due to the advent of the smart phone. It's kind of difficult to watch science fiction movies made even a few years ago because the characters frequently encounter obstacles in the stories that would be nullified by a smart phone.

Waiting in line to pay your tab at a bar is one of those obstacles. Thanks, Tabbed Out!

Seth